After spotting the San Diego Flash an early 1-0
lead from a Seattle own goal, the Sounders fought back to win 2-1 behind
excellent shots by rookie Greg Howes and team goal leader Darren Sawatzky,
the match winner coming in added time at the end of the first half. Early
in the second half an undeserved penalty kick was awarded to San Diego,
but Sounders goalkeeper Preston Burpo stepped into the spotlight and saved
Kevin Legg's PK. Burpo has faced three PKs this season and he has saved
them all!

Seattle were without Andrew Gregor, suspended for yellow card points,
Kieran Barton, suspended for a red card, and Erik Storkson, who injured
his ankle in the US Open Cup match in Los Angeles two nights earlier. San
Diego's lineup included several players with local ties. Ex-Sounders Chugger
Adair and Jason Annicchero started, as did Leighton O'Brien and PJ Brown,
who have lived in the area. Ex-Sounder Mark Baena sat on the bench due
to an ankle injury from San Diego's Open Cup match this week. Anthony Farace,
who was traded by San Diego to Seattle for Mark Baena but refused to go,
started for the visitors after playing earlier in the season for Orange
County.

First Half

Farace earned the first shot of the match in the 4th minute when he
fired from the arc on a busted corner kick play, but right into Burpo's
bread basket.

7' AJ Utush own goal. O'Brien on the right side sent in a ball
that Adair headed for Guillermo Jara. Ali John Utush intercepted the ball
and headed it towards the right post for Burpo, but Burpo had come out
and couldn't get back in time to stop the ball from entering the goal.
San Diego had the early lead, 1-0.

The next good chance was San Diego's in the 18th minute when Jara received
an air ball close to goal while loosely marked. He tried to head the ball
over the onrushing Burpo, but the keeper got enough of his fingertips on
it to push it over the bar for a corner kick.

In the 18th minute Seattle finally got a chance when Sawatzky dropped
for Dick McCormick, but he skied the 25-yard shot.

32' Howes. Sawatzky tried to chip over San Diego keeper Thomas
Tate, but the shot was just over the bar and Tate gave it a touch to be
sure, yielding a corner. The corner kick was cleared out but sent back
in. A ball was deflected along the 18-yard line by a defender and Howes
saw the left piece of the goal through the crowd and accurately fired a
bullet straight ahead and inside the left post. Match even at 1-1.

The teams traded chances for the rest of the half. For the Flash, Jara
fed Legg on the run on the right side, but Legg bent his shot the wrong
way and just missed the top near corner. For Seattle, Craig Tomlinson fed
ahead to Sawatzky, but Tate met Sawatzky to block the shot and the rebound,
bouncing towards goal, was cleared by a defender. For San Diego, the dangerous
Carlos Farias was open for a 25-yard blast that just missed the bottom
far corner.

45' Sawatzky (Jenkins). Defender Scott Jenkins overlapped on
the left and carried the ball inside the penalty area. He crossed to Sawatzky,
who was centered 15 yards from goal. With his back to goal, Sawatzky trapped
the ball, spun around and quickly fired the match winner inside the left
post out of Tate's reach.

In added time, a 30-yard San Diego free kick was touched to Farias,
who shot accurately to the lower far corner, but Burpo dove nicely and
made the save.

Halftime: Seattle 2 - 1 San Diego

Just 2 minutes into the second half, San Diego sent in a cross from
the left with a lone target near goal, marked by Craig Waibel. It looked
like Waibel would comfortably head the ball away, but he was pushed hard
from behind and his arm flew out and hit the ball. Young referee Cory Dean
apparently turned too late to see the push and saw just the ball hitting
Waibel's hand. Instead of a foul for the push or a no-call, Dean whistled
and pointed to the spot for a penalty kick! Everyone else in the stadium
saw the push, probably including assistant referee Doug Pinski, but Dean
failed to check with Pinski. Legg sent the penalty kick to his left about
shoulder high, and Burpo dove to smack the ball with his right hand to
stop its forward progress. Waibel was first to the rebound while Burpo
was on the ground, and Waibel cleared the ball from danger.

Seattle had all the chances for the next half hour. A Seattle free kick
near the left corner of the penalty area was touched to Howes and rocketed
on goal, where it could only be parried by Tate, then it was cleared by
the defense. Tomlinson dummied, ducking under a square air ball and leaving
the ball for Howes. Tomlinson sprinted up the middle and took a pass from
Howes and fired low to the right from 10 yards, but Tate made the diving
catch. Sean Henderson was well over from 35 yards. AJ Utush's long cross/shot
was caught by Tate at the far post. Sawatzky got a foot on a defender's
pass and the ball popped into the penalty area where Sawatzky collected
it, but the defense recovered in time to prevent a shot.

San Diego's first good shot since the PK came in the 78th from substitute
Jerome Watson, who volleyed a cross from 10 yards out from the near post.
The hard shot bent at the top right corner, but Burpo leaped to push the
shot over the bar for another remarkable save.

Seattle sub Brian Wood stole the ball from Farias and sent it way up
the right touch line for sub Kei Kinoshita, who earned a cross from the
right that Wood received about 15 yards from goal. Wood trapped the ball
and turned, but a defender recovered in time to block the shot.

In the 83rd, San Diego free kick specialist Farias missed the top near
corner by a yard from 30.

In the final minute, Sawatzky sent a long pass ahead for substitute
Rashid Utush, whose 25-yard shot from the left was well over.

San Diego had one last chance in added time when, after a Seattle offside
call, the long free kick was headed on goal by Annicchero, but Burpo leaped
for the save.

Final: Seattle 2 - 1 San Diego

Statistics:

Seattle

San Diego

Shots:

13

13

Saves:

6

6

Corners:

3

5

Fouls:

15

18

Offsides:

2

1

Misconduct:13 Annicchero (SD) cautioned for knocking Tomlinson down after the
ball went over the touch line.
80 Jenkins (SEA) cautioned for a foul at the touch line.
88 O'Brien (SD) cautioned for pulling R Utush down from behind.